The Mission in Sound
by Randa-Chan
Summary: A flash of resemblance flittered through Sasuke's mind but he pushed it aside. Though that dark eye looked very much the same, it could not possibly belong to Hatake Kakashi. The 3 yr mark draws near. TEMPORARY HIATUS.
1. Enter Okoyama Satoshi

**The Mission in Sound **

_Written by Randa-Chan, 2008_

**NOTE: IN THE PROCESS OF BEING EDITED. CHAPTER ONE DONE THUS FAR. NON COMPLIANT WITH REMAINING CHAPTERS. 28/12/2008**

**Disclaimer: **Naruto doesn't belong to me and I can promise you I'm not making any profit from this fic.

**Chapter One: **

**Enter Okoyama Satoshi**

"_Kakashi, I have a mission for you." _

"_Oh?" _

_Standing before the desk of Konoha's Fifth Hokage, the silver haired man slouched a little more into his worn Jounin vest. He was tired, he didn't want a mission but the Fifth had that look in her eye. There wouldn't be any turning this one down. _

"_What is it?" _

"_Here." _

_Picking up a piece of paper, she held it out to Kakashi. He took it and dutifully skimmed the contents with his single, visible eye. _

_As Kakashi read, he steadily grew uneasy. _

"_You want me on this mission?" he asked eventually, already having read it three times. _

_The Hokage met his gaze seriously, her hands folded comfortably beneath her chin. _

"_Hai Kakashi. I want you. No one else will do."_

_Kakashi remained silent. It wasn't his way to rush head long into anything and he seriously considered refusing the mission, despite the look the Hokage had given him. _

_Two years ago when Sasuke defected he'd requested a similar mission to the one now in his hands. He'd been refused of course. He'd expected that. _

_But this, here in his hands? This was what he'd wanted for so long. It was both a combination of his own duty as a sensei and his personal yearning to set things right. Hesitation was so unlike him. _

_With a deep sigh he finally placed the mission folder on the edge of Tsunade's paper littered desk. _

"_I guess the next question is; when do I start?" _

_The Hokage smiled, her brown eyes bright with determination. _

"_So you accept?" _

"_Hai." _

"_Then you mission in Sound begins effective immediately. Move out, Wolf." _

The skies above the village of Oto in Sound country were clear and bright. Nothing about the atmosphere hinted at the possibility of deception and yet, within the mind of the man walking towards the entrance gates to Oto, there existed a secret that if discovered, would get him killed.

Approaching Oto in all actuality was foolish in any case as any shinobi in the surrounding elemental countries knew. The Snake Sannin, Orochimaru, ran his village with a clenched fist. Traitors and spies did not survive within the walls of Oto; Orochimaru's right hand man saw to that. Kabuto's talent at discovering and purging spies from Oto had kept the village relatively secretive since Orochimaru's attack on Konoha two and a half years previously. If possible, Kabuto was even more cunning than his master and his experiments; it was rumoured, more despicable than anything Orochimaru had left behind to be discovered in Konoha after his defection.

The man approaching Oto knew all this and had even had dealings with the Sannin himself but that did not stop him from daring to carry out the mission anyway. This had been a last resort after all but Konoha's Fifth Hokage had finally been pushed to go to such lengths. Summer was just beginning to peak and it would only be a matter of months before Orochimaru was ready to receive his final weapon. If the Snake Sannin obtained the Sharingan, Konoha would not only have to deal with the loss of the Uchiha Clan but also the deadly war Orochimaru would bring to them. Konoha was not so old that it had forgotten the last war and it was not so foolish as to rush head long into another.

His mission was simple: find out if Orochimaru was in the main Oto village base in Sound country (which he was), get in, do some subtle intelligence gathering and extract Uchiha Sasuke. All he had to do was convince Oto he was harmless – much easier in hindsight than in actual execution.

Like the massive maw of a beast waiting to devour anything in its path, the village gates stood wide open in the noon sunshine. Yet having become the enemy of so many different countries, Oto was not letting just any person stroll in. A toughened, four man squad of Jounin attended the gates unlike the two man pairs of Chuunin that Konoha deployed.

The Jounin eyed him suspiciously as he approached. A single person alone could only mean the approach of a missing nin looking to seek refuge in Sound.

He'd been careful when he'd started out on this mission. First impressions counted after all which was why he'd dressed himself plainly. He'd chosen to don a navy blue gi with the sleeves cut at the elbow and a pair of pants in the same colour. A white haori was draped on his shoulders to suggest a rather laid back appearance in line with the pointed straw hat resting on his head to shield his face from the sun. Geta on his feet completed the look because they were hardly practical for fighting in.

He came to a halt before the squad of shinobi who watched him cautiously. He raised his head so that they could see his face, thus dispelling the illusion of his identity.

A shinobi indeed stared back from beneath the hat's rim. The man's face was distant, bordering on emotionless. Black hair peaked untidily from under a pale blue scarf as he surveyed the squad with blank, dark eyes.

"My name is Okoyama Satoshi. I would like to request permission to join Oto," said Hatake Kakashi.

0-0-0-0-0-0

While Hatake Kakashi began his mission in Sound, Uchiha Sasuke woke slowly from a deep slumber to the familiarity of the room he'd occupied since coming to Sound.

Without moving, Sasuke roved his eyes over his room from his position on his bed before closing them once more, satisfied that he was alone and everything was as it should be.

Unbidden, fragments of the dream Sasuke had been having, rose to cloud his mind. He didn't dream often. It was something he'd ruthlessly trained himself not to do. If nightmares weren't plaguing him then all too pleasant memories were. But he'd cut his bonds and those memories no longer had any place in his life.

Determined not to think about it, he pushed aside the thoughts and focused on what he always focused on: training to get stronger.

Today Orochimaru had pushed him hard, harder than he ever had. Sasuke had returned to his rooms around noon and collapsed onto his bed, not at all concerned about his sweaty clothes. He'd been asleep within seconds, unmindful of the filth clinging to his skin and the cloth sticking to his back. If Orochimaru could push him this much his muscles physically wanted to explode then he knew it was only going to make him stronger. It seemed there was still so much more the Snake Sannin could teach him and Sasuke was willing to do whatever it took to learn as much as he could.

A soft tapping suddenly sounded upon his door. Sasuke didn't need to look to know who it was. Only two people visited Uchiha Sasuke's door: Orochimaru and Kabuto. Orochimaru always disappeared into his labs once he concluded training for the day, not to be seen until the following morning. It could only be Kabuto then.

Smoothly Sasuke got up and opened the door, his face blank and his stiffness carefully hidden. Kabuto was sharp. He wouldn't miss any sign of injury if Sasuke wasn't careful to conceal it. He couldn't allow anyone to see any form of weakness.

"Kabuto. What do you want?"

"Nothing much, Sasuke-kun," replied the grey haired medic.

The statement belied the truth though. Kabuto wouldn't have wandered into the depths of the Sound base where Sasuke's rooms were unless he personally wanted something or Orochimaru had ordered him down there.

Kabuto smiled – a smile that didn't quite reach his slate gray eyes. Sasuke hated that smile and he especially hated those eyes. He saw them every morning in the mirror over the sink through his dripping bangs. All shinobi developed them eventually – eyes that contained nothing; no anger, no happiness, no hate, no love. His had been like that since he was eight and every day he was reminded why they were that way. He hated Oto and everybody in it because their eyes were just like his. Orochimaru alone didn't possess eyes like that and even if the golden orbs were usually full of malice, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to hate them. Orochimaru might be an evil, sadistic bastard whose training sessions wore him down a little more each time but he could only admire the strength of character the Sannin possessed. He knew who he was and he didn't fear how anyone else might perceive him.

"Orochimaru-sama has a new experiment he's working on," explained Kabuto. "He's going to be much busier and he's decided that you need to broaden your horizons. He wants someone else to train you in the mornings. He'll give up his time to train you in the afternoon if you still want training from him though. You can make recommendations to him but ultimately Orochimaru will choose who trains you. You have one week."

The message came out of nowhere. Inwardly, Sasuke was more than just a little displeased.

"Orochimaru is my trainer Kabuto. Tell him I'll accept no one else."

Sasuke delivered his reply calmly, if not a little coolly.

Kabuto noted the hint of anger in his tone with a penetrating stare to which Sasuke simply stared back expressionlessly.

"I'll relay the message Sasuke-kun," he answered eventually. "Have a pleasant evening."

Kabuto smiled a second time and then was gone, melding back into the shadows from whence he'd come.

Sasuke's quietly closed the door, considering what Kabuto had told him grimly. It was the first time since coming to Oto that Orochimaru had shown anything less than ultimate commitment to a deal he'd struck. It would bare thinking about and he would have to be wary of the Sannin from now on. He wasn't naïve enough to think that Orochimaru would have complete trust in him. Orochimaru would be expecting him to flee Oto if he didn't give him the opportunity to deal with his brother before the three year mark was up.

The Sannin was correct in his beliefs. Sasuke had no intention of becoming a container until such a time as Itachi was firmly buried six feet under. He was going to have to plan the next few weeks carefully.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Once the Jounin understood why Kakashi was requesting permission to enter Oto, two of the four Sound shinobi moved to flank Kakashi and the third disappeared in a puff of smoke, no doubt going ahead to request an audience with the Snake Sannin. The fourth remained at the gate and Kakashi heard him radio for another pair of Jounin to come and cover the gate with him until the other three return.

They then proceeded to guide him through the village streets to an archway he could see rearing into the sky in the distance. Like the gates, Kakashi could see evidence here of heightened security as well. Only shinobi and wary looking traders were on the streets.

The archway grew closer and after five minutes of weaving their way through the crowded streets, they broke into a large square. A wide stairway descended into darkness beneath the massive white columns which stood above it.

The third ninja was waiting for them at the top of the stairs.

"Watch it," he warned. "Orochimaru-sama is in a bad mood. You picked the wrong time of day for this."

He looked meaningfully at Kakashi but the Leaf spy shrugged, directing an arrogant grin their way instead. Hatake Kakashi would have been subdued but playing the part of Okoyama Satoshi required a certain amount of noise and a flare for disrespecting your betters.

"Oh? Too bad for Orochimaru-sama then," he drawled disarmingly. "Perhaps I should wait until tomorrow to see him? Hang on – I can't. Orochimaru-sama has to see all shinobi entering the village immediately. It's a shame. I guess he'll have to see me for the sake of maintaining his edict."

The sarcastic comment earned Kakashi an incensed response.

"Shut your trap!" growled one of the Sound shinobi. His fingers clenched tightly around Kakashi's bicep in warning but the Leaf shinobi wasn't intimidated.

"Maa maa," he replied making a show of mild amusement. "No need to get rough. I'll play nice."

"You'd better," agreed the other Sound shinobi. "Don't go mouthing off. The Snake Sannin's normally not affected by rude behaviour in his presence but he tends to take it badly when you interrupt him from his laboratory work."

Kakashi chose not to aggravate them any further and followed obediently down the stairs.

It took them a minute to descend into the gloom and by that time they were well and truly surrounded in darkness. Kakashi effected a bored expression but inwardly his mind was churning. As much as he felt he could handle what was to come, the risk of discovery was still high and it'd been some time since he'd worked under such dangerous circumstances.

Presently the steps levelled out and they entered a long corridor. The walls were bare save for several lit fires spaced every ten metres along the walls in brackets. The floor was covered with wooden floorboards which squeaked beneath every footstep the small party took. Despite the hall's plain appearance however, Kakashi doubted it was left unguarded. It was difficult to see but there were definitely signs of deadly traps in the walls and ceilings as they proceeded.

They came to a door at the end and the two Jounin released Kakashi's arms and stepped back. Apparently he was to go in alone. The Jounin said nothing and Kakashi didn't either. Stepping forward, he opened the door confidently and entered to meet his fate.

It was dark within with only a single lamp lit behind a large, high backed chair on the other side of the room. The chair was empty but Kakashi knew he was far from alone.

There was a slithering sound in the darkness. Kakashi didn't flinch as a large snake wrapped itself around his leg and began winding its way up his body.

The scales against his skin were cold but turning away the reptile would be a mistake. Orochimaru was no doubt concealed in the darkness and Kakashi couldn't afford to show fear or discomfort around the snake.

So with a grin he didn't feel, Kakashi reached out and tried to pat the snake's head. As he had expected, the reptile reared back and snapped angrily at his fingers. Kakashi snatched his hand out of reached but was sure to beam ever more widely.

"My, you're cute," he said.

"She is, isn't she?" replied Orochimaru who'd been hidden in the gloom as Kakashi had guessed. Kakashi didn't look up because he was too involved in making sure the snake wasn't about to bite him.

"Well she is if you like snakes," he said. Negligently he withdrew a kunai and deliberately stabbed the snake. With an angry hiss, it vanished in a puff of smoke leaving Kakashi distinctly relieved to be free of its reptilian presence.

He looked up to find Orochimaru glaring at him with open irritation. Dispelling the snake summon wasn't a wise move but Kakashi hadn't been able to tolerate its presence any longer.

It was the first time Kakashi had seen the Sannin since he'd killed the Third. Dressed in a black kimono, Orochimaru garb was unexpectedly casual. Kakashi would have thought something a little more imposing or the same Sound uniform he recalled would have been Orochimaru's attire of choice. However, Kakashi was more concerned to note that the Sannin was distinctly not alone. Kakashi had expected that. He would have preferred to confront Orochimaru by himself – at least he was familiar with the Sannin's mannerisms but the medic at his side was an unknown quantity. Kabuto stood half a step behind his master with a tray of sharp surgical tools. Light from the nearby lamp played across Kabuto's glasses making it difficult to see his expression.

"So you're from Iwa are you?" queried Orochimaru, eyeing the forehead protector tied around Kakashi's neck. There was a single scratch through the symbol indicating his position as a missing nin. "Interesting. Your name?"

"Okoyama Satoshi, my dear Orochimaru-sama." Kakashi smirked and performed a mocking bow.

Despite the guard's warning, Orochimaru didn't react badly as he'd been told to expect. The Sannin grinned sadistically, eyeing Kakashi like a hunter eyeing its prey. Kakashi forced himself to remain unmoved beneath the twisted display of emotion on Orochimaru's face.

"As long as you keep the Orochimaru-sama up Satoshi-kun, I might be able to tolerate that rather blatant display of disrespect. Then again, it's been a long time since I've had such an obvious attempt to infiltrate Oto as a spy."

Kakashi let the silence descend for several seconds. He might not be a diplomat but he knew enough about words not to be ensnared in Orochimaru's trap.

"Ne Orochimaru-sama, you'll have to try harder than that," said Kakashi finally deciding to straighten. He smirked at the two Sound shinobi. "It's obviously a trap to get me to admit to something, even if it was true."

"Very good Satoshi-kun," conceded Orochimaru. He didn't look displeased that Kakashi had dodged the trap. In fact, Kakashi was fairly certain dark amusement glittered in his slitted eyes.

At that moment, Kabuto chose to speak for the first time, drawing Kakashi's attention away from Orochimaru's hypnotising gaze. The Sannin's second, in contrast, met Kakashi's level stare with an expression impossible to interpret. Kakashi guessed the closest emotion he could link to Kabuto's face was a hint of shrewdness. He hedged that Kabuto had earned his position through sheer brilliance of thought alone.

"We did find records of an Iwa shinobi by the name of Okoyama Satoshi," he began. He held a folder in his hands which Kakashi could see had a picture of his face on the front. "He hasn't been seen in a decade but there's nothing to indicate that he died."

Okoyama Satoshi of course, did not exist though. He was merely a disguise Kakashi had used in the days he had worked for ANBU. Okoyama was an Earth Jounin and obnoxious to a fault. His origins were obscure but he'd show up on the radar in Iwa on and off for five years. As a child, apparently he had been isolated and not placed on a team. That however, still wasn't going to be enough to convince Orochimaru of his identity. As for his sincerity, it would be up to him to prove it and that he could be trusted.

"So what do you propose?" queried Kakashi. He didn't know how he would be tested and everything came down to this moment. He had to prove to Orochimaru that he could be trusted. His mission depended upon it.

"To prove you are who you say you are logically," replied Kabuto.

The medic smiled – a smile that could have frozen water solid and picked up a needle from the medical tray. Kakashi held out his arm obediently as Kabuto came forward and withdrew a sample of his blood. Orochimaru watched the whole while, his expression impossible to interpret. Once finished, the medic moved back and began testing his blood in little tubes with chemicals and using other instruments.

"Ouch," Kakashi remarked sarcastically as Kabuto moved away. Lazily he leaned back against the closed door, watching Orochimaru from beneath the brim of his hat while Kabuto continued to run his tests.

"So tell me Satoshi-kun," said Orochimaru drawing Kakashi's attention. "Where have you been the last decade and don't even think about lying. I'll know if you do."

Kakashi smirked self-importantly and looked directly into Orochimaru's eyes. The Snake Sannin may have been powerful but he'd never been ANBU. Being ANBU required more than power, it required finesse and discretion. Lying to someone's face came naturally to Kakashi after so many years of intelligence gathering for Konoha. Orochimaru was cunning and observant but Kakashi could lie with an ease born only of long practice.

"About," said Kakashi with a shrug. "Iwa pissed me off. I decided to get out and see the world. You kinda get tired of it after awhile though and when I heard about this interesting little party down in Sound I decided I might come and check it out."

"You're clever Satoshi-kun and I like your brashness but don't overstep your bounds," retorted Orochimaru. The Sannin smiled but the thinly veiled threat was obvious. Hastily Kakashi re-evaluated the situation, concluding Orochimaru's temper was closer to the surface than he'd thought.

"Ah alright," he allowed. "Iwa gave me a hard time for getting my lot in with a bunch of Leaf shinobi. Not that I meant to but you know how it is."

Shrugging negligently, Kakashi made sure to keep one eye on Orochimaru to gauge his reaction. "I got sick of it and left. Been minding my own business ever since. Mostly doing odd jobs and the like."

Before Orochimaru could answer Kabuto interrupted them. "He's clean," he said looking to Orochimaru. Kakashi grinned smugly but inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Of course I am. I might be from Earth country but even we know how to take a bath you know," he remarked.

Not at all riled by the jibe, Kabuto smiled politely in return. "Naturally you do Okoyama-san," he agreed. "We just have to be sure, that's all."

Clapping his hands together, Kabuto performed the release technique to dispel any genjutsu being used in the room. Nothing happened and again, Kakashi inwardly breathed another sigh. It had taken the Fifth two weeks to develop a jutsu that could hide Kakashi's Sharingan and his scar without having it be broken by a disillusion jutsu.

"Do I pass yet?" he asked already looking bored again.

"There's one final thing," answered Orochimaru. Kakashi tensed ever so slightly. It wasn't enough for the two Sound shinobi to notice but enough for those who knew him well to realise he'd reached the end of how he knew to react up to this point and now he was going to have to wing whatever came next.

"In order to prove your betrayal to your home village, you must produce for me a jutsu I do not have in my collection that is only known to your own village. Call it an act of good will if you'd like to get into my good graces."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow but dutifully reached into his weapons pouch. He could counter this since he'd vaguely been expecting something like it and was thankful he'd prepared a jutsu to placate Orochimaru's obsessive thirst for knowledge. He withdrew a scroll for just such a purpose which had the details of a jutsu he'd copied from an Earth shinobi years ago. The shinobi hadn't lived but before he'd died he'd taken a great deal of time gloating over the jutsu he claimed was an original technique handed down through his family. Kakashi only hoped he hadn't been lying when he'd made the claim.

Orochimaru took the scroll and opened it. There was silence for several moments as he read through it. By the time he had finished, a small but pleased smile graced Orochimaru's face.

"Well, well Satoshi-kun. You surprise me. I'd given up hope laying my hands on this jutsu."

Kakashi smirked back. "I do try -"

He was abruptly cut off as the door beside him crashed open and a young shinobi entered. He didn't even look at Kakashi who was stunned for the moment by the appearance of his mission target.

Uchiha Sasuke, though relatively calm in appearance, walked with an agitated step that Kakashi remembered usually signalled he was upset about something. He hurriedly masked his surprise before either Kabuto or Orochimaru could notice.

"Orochimaru!" said Sasuke, his voice almost sharp enough to be a snap. "Kabuto says you're to lighten my training time with you. Explain."

The arrogance of the question astounded Kakashi. His former student had always been demanding, particularly when he wanted something but the Copy ninja could see the teenager had gone too far. Orochimaru's lips thinned, the earlier smile disappearing and Kakashi knew he had to act, least Sasuke be on the receiving end of a particularly nasty punishment.

"Oi teme!" barked Kakashi. "Watch where you're going!"

As Satoshi, a brash character, Kakashi could afford to meddle. Orochimaru had already recognised his obnoxiousness and his interference with his prized vessel would interest him more than punishing him for speaking to Sasuke so rudely. At least Kakashi hoped Orochimaru would react this way. The Sannin was unpredictable but he was counting on Orochimaru's love of conflict. He'd have to tread cautiously.

Sasuke turned and gave Kakashi the first look he'd had of his student in two and a half years. The contemptuous glare was just the same as he remembered it. Sasuke had grown taller in that time to but still had a half a head more of growing before he caught up to Kakashi.

The Sound uniform he was wearing however, did his old student no favours. Obviously Orochimaru had insisted on it because Kakashi was almost certain the Sasuke he remembered would never consent to wear such a pale and ridiculously impractical outfit. The loose, billowing sleeves and rope around his waist were easy targets for pinning him down and the colour of the outfit would make it difficult to camouflage himself. Having said that, Naruto and Sakura had never refrained from wearing their own vibrant shades.

"I don't believe I was talking to you," replied Sasuke calmly. The raven haired boy turned his back on Kakashi, the gesture inciting his irritation. Kakashi reminded himself Sasuke didn't know who he was and probably would have thought twice if he had. If he wanted to play at arrogance however, he was prepared to deal back in kind. With one smooth stride, he stepped up behind him and lightly made to cuff Sasuke's head.

Somehow, Sasuke sensed the attack and caught his fist effortlessly. The catch had been swift and Sasuke was obviously always on guard. His awareness impressed Kakashi but he didn't allow the Uchiha's skill level to faze him.

He was more mindful of Orochimaru's piercing gaze resting on him, waiting to see how he would react. He was testing him Kakashi thought shrewdly. Konoha's Copy ninja wasn't the type of person to let something like Sasuke's behaviour go so easily and Orochimaru needed to see that. An idea was forming in his mind, a possibility at the moment but if he played his cards right, it might just work.

Striking swiftly, Kakashi swung upwards with his foot, intending to smash into Sasuke's kidneys and break his grip on his wrist. The teenager managed to block and suddenly went on the offensive.

The attack was unexpected and far more aggressive than Kakashi had anticipated. Orochimaru had taught Sasuke not to play lightly. His former student however, hadn't counted on Kakashi reacting just as violently.

He powerfully wrenched his wrist free from Sasuke's grip and smashed his elbow viciously against the underside of Sasuke's chin. It was a common ANBU move and could stun most ninja severely. Sasuke flew up from the force of the blow but once again, Orochimaru's resilient training came through. Sasuke twisted his body effortlessly and landed in a crouch on the ceiling, held in place by the force of his chakra. The blow hadn't been gentle but Sasuke's dark eyes were clear and cold. If he was at all dazed, Kakashi couldn't tell.

Sasuke's arsenal of skills had doubtlessly grown. That was easily evident even though he'd caught his former student unawares with his last hit. Sasuke's progress had probably been incredible, most likely even beyond Naruto whom Jiriya had informed him would surpass him within only a few more years.

Yet for all that, Kakashi could tell just from those few quick movements that Sasuke still had a long way to go before he could match him blow for blow. Orochimaru was highly skilled but he did not possess the Sharingan nor know the Uchiha clan personally as Kakashi once had. The specialities of the clan had no doubt been neglected when they shouldn't have been. If Sasuke wanted to destroy his brother so badly the only way would be to beat him at his own game and Kakashi alone, was the sole person who could show Sasuke how. If he took the opportunity now, he could give Sasuke a taste of his strength and the reason why he shouldn't have left Konoha.

"Not so cocky now are we?" taunted Kakashi.

Sasuke regarded him unreadably.

"Hn, annoying," he said at length. For a second time, Sasuke ignored Kakashi and turned his attention to the Snake Sannin. "Orochimaru, I asked you why you've lightened my training with you."

At Sasuke's words, a surge of frustration rushed through Kakashi. His former student was pushing the boundaries too far. The Sannin might treat Sasuke with more respect than the rest of the Sound shinobi but if the steadily growing malevolent expression on his face was any indication, than Sasuke should have realised by now that it was time to back off before Orochimaru's infamous temper surfaced.

"Orochimaru-sama I may not have been here all that long but you should know that if you intend to let me stay then you better give me a very good reason not to pound this little ingrate into the dirt," Kakashi interrupted, seeking to divert Orochimaru's temper.

Turning his head slightly, Sasuke narrowed his eyes the barest of a fraction. It was the only indication that Kakashi's comment had irritated him.

As expected, Sasuke answered before Orochimaru could. "You're just another shinobi come yapping for Orochimaru's protection."

"That may be," permitted Kakashi. "However, I believe I have the right to Orochimaru-sama's presence before you since I was here first."

Folding his arms, Kakashi settled to wait and see how Sasuke would react to the challenge he'd thrown down. He'd made it a habit to push people's buttons. The question was, what would Sasuke chose to do?

"I have a proposal," cut in Orochimaru interrupting the lingering silence.

Kakashi and Sasuke broke their gazes and turned to look at the Sannin. Smiling darkly, Orochimaru appeared to have lit on an idea but Kakashi could only theorize.

"Sasuke-kun, I really don't have the time but I'm willing to concede to your demand to see me before Satoshi-san if you can win the task I have in mind for you," offered Orochimaru. "Seeing as you are so insistent on commanding my presence right this second, I'll allow you to if you can fight and defeat Satoshi to earn the right. You've got five minutes Sasuke-kun or else you can get the hell out of my sight."

The Sannin's eyes met Sasuke's but the boy didn't flinch away from the terrifying stare. Killing intent slowly but surely swelled within the room, seeking to press the occupants onto the floor. Kakashi and Kabuto remained unaffected – the level wasn't yet high enough to worry an ANBU recruit overly. However, though Sasuke maintained his position and returned Orochimaru's glare, Kakashi could see the boy's face going white.

A snake knew how to frighten its prey better than any other creature and Orochimaru had perfected the art to unprecedented levels it was said. Tsunade had warned him to avoid antagonizing Orochimaru to the point that he unleashed the full potential of his killer intent. She'd explained that though she expected him to be resistant to it at his level, the effects were disorientating and could impair his judgement. Having been on the receiving end of it before, Tsunade could vouch for the ferocity of Orochimaru's ability.

After several long moments, the heavy atmosphere subsided in the room. Sasuke was apparently going to heed to warning not to argue Kakashi realized when the teenager, still suspended from the ceiling, swivelled without another word to face Kakashi.

"Begin," ordered Orochimaru softly.

"Hn, this is going to be fun," laughed Kakashi. He grinned at Sasuke, his eyes gleaming in anticipation. "Get down here brat so I can teach you what it means to be a real ninja."

"Talk all you want," murmured Sasuke. "But I won't lose to you."

Though he outwardly didn't move, Kakashi tensed himself, readying to avoid Sasuke the moment he attacked. He'd let the boy make the first move and then go from there.

Sasuke's hand moved up to wrap comfortably around the handle of the blade he carried. Kakashi made a mental note of it, reminding himself that the Uchiha clan excelled at the little used sword arts and that Sasuke would most likely be very skilled already with the blade despite having only trained with the weapon for the maximum two and a half years he'd been in Oto.

Sasuke attacked so quickly that it must have been a surprise for him to discover no one standing where Kakashi had been. His blade whistled through the air and struck stone. He'd attacked without holding back, expecting to hit the target and because of that, he hadn't allowed for the possibility to miss. He'd most likely damaged his blade by hitting the stone floor now.

Smirking, Kakashi straightened from the half crouched he'd landed in a few metres away. "You'll have to be faster than that," he quipped.

Sliding into a taijutsu stance, Kakashi decided to test his former student thoroughly. Though Orochimaru hadn't specified it, ninjutsu was off the cards. The room was too small to perform those kinds of jutsus in but within reason, Kakashi suspected anything else was perfectly fine.

He settled on launching a series of blistering physical attacks. Half the blows Kakashi was forced to pull short when Sasuke's blade threatened to separate an arm or a leg from his body. However, he had the speed and his limbs had the reach. Sasuke sword arm gave him the greatest reach but Kakashi outmatched him in comparison because his remaining three reaches were all longer than Sasuke's.

His former student took half a dozen painful blows in under thirty seconds but Kakashi didn't escape unscathed. Sasuke's blade didn't actually cut him but he succeeded in slicing a stretch of fabric several inches long horizontally across Kakashi's chest. The margin was to close and Kakashi was forced to concede that he couldn't afford to hold back too much when dealing with Sasuke.

Stepping back two steps, Kakashi set his footwork and raised his arms, leaving a deliberate gap in his defences. Sasuke's eyes flickered over the gap but he didn't take the invitation to Kakashi's surprise. He made to swing down on Kakashi's head and the Copy ninja was forced to dive sideways. He rolled to his feet and resumed the same position, leaving the opening there a second time.

This time, Sasuke took the bait, no doubt irritated by the twice shown opening and wanting to point it out.

The 'opening' however, was a trap.

Sasuke moved to thrust his weapon through Kakashi's defences and puncture his shoulder but the Copy ninja brought his hands down to frame the blade, ghosting along its length and at the last second, Kakashi raised his shoulder and swivelled his body to the side slightly. Sasuke's blade slid harmlessly through the air beneath his right arm. Kakashi's left hand encircled Sasuke's hand and the hilt of his sword and his right flew forward. He punched Sasuke soundly across his jaw. The attack launched Sasuke backwards and boy lost his grip on his sword, just as Kakashi had intended. The teenager crashed into the wall causing an explosion of dust and rubble on impact.

While he waited, Kakashi lazily cast a genjutsu around the blade, disguising it as a needle and threw it into a dark corner of the room. Sasuke wouldn't be getting back his weapon any time soon.

A moment or two later, the raven haired teenager emerged from the hole he'd torn through the wall, the red eyes of the Uchiha Sharingan glinting beneath his dark bangs. Pressing his mouth into a thin line, Sasuke steadily walked back into the room, his eyes pinned on Kakashi.

"Ah, the Sharingan," said Kakashi. "I was wondering when you'd bring it out."

He smirked and discreetly formed the seals behind his back for a genjutsu. In his peripheral vision Kakashi noticed Kabuto shift slightly. The medic had lost sight of him but when Kakashi slowly took a step to the right, both Orochimaru's and Sasuke's eyes followed him. He'd been expecting the Sannin to be able to see through it and Sasuke's ability to see him didn't surprise him either. The three developed tomos indicated that Sasuke's bloodline technique was fully developed and would have no difficulty seeing through any genjutsu.

"So you've heard of my clan's bloodline then?" asked Sasuke.

"Of course," replied Kakashi. "And I know what it can do."

"Then you'll know that no move you make will be fast enough for me to miss and genjutsu won't work," Sasuke answered.

Kakashi smiled, perfectly well aware of the power of the Sharingan. He was also of course, aware of exactly how to get around a technique he also possessed.

"Three minutes," called Kabuto.

Sinking into another taijutsu stance, Kakashi prepared himself to attack again. He swiftly rushed Sasuke, attacking with rapid strokes and a mixture of numerous feints. The Sharingan however, caught every move and Sasuke's agility was great enough to keep pace and counter Kakashi's attacks.

Sasuke blocked Kakashi's kick and somersaulted lightly to the side when Kakashi threw a hard, right handed punch. He dropped low and attempted to sweep Kakashi's feet out from under him but he was countered by Kakashi's light leap over his spinning foot.

Aware of the seconds trickling away, Kakashi reached into the sleeve of his haori and extracted a small smoke bomb. He threw it at Sasuke's feet where it exploded.

"A smoke bomb's not going to get you very far," Sasuke warned as the smoke cleared.

Kakashi smirked in reply.

"I'm perfectly well aware of that but a drug laced bomb will."

"Drugs?" queried Sasuke not looking worried quite yet but definitely wary. And so he should be.

Kakashi chose not to answer his question. Instead, he formed the ram hand seal and activated the chakra responsive elements in the drug. Sasuke froze immediately. Kakashi couldn't see what his student could but he knew that to Sasuke, it would seem as if he were deep under water and drowning. It wasn't a nice jutsu but it couldn't be countered by the Sharingan even though it was an illusion. Having injected it into Sasuke's blood stream, it was already a part of him and there would be no escaping it.

Sasuke did the next best thing and stabbed himself in the hand with a kunai. Nothing changed however though Kakashi was quite impressed that Sasuke was still managing to breathe. The jutsu's intent was to make a victim suffocate or at least pass out but somehow, despite his brain telling him he was inhaling water, Sasuke was ignoring that fact and still breathing, albeit haggardly.

"Very impressive," Kakashi remarked. "You're still breathing."

"You think a stupid little genjutsu like this will defeat me?" snapped Sasuke but his harsh breathing nullified the threat in his voice.

"No, I don't think it will since you've obviously countered the primary intent of the genjutsu," replied Kakashi walking over to stand in front of Sasuke. "However, it's not going to be easy, especially now that you're all but blind."

Sasuke reacted to the words by jabbing forward with his fist. He'd pinpointed Kakashi's location by the sound of his voice alone but Kakashi had predicted his attempt and he caught his wrist and twisted it sharply behind his back. He forced Sasuke into a kneeling position, pulling his shoulder so tightly that another inch higher would snap the ligaments and tendons in his back.

Sasuke's head fell forward, his raven bangs falling around his face. They revealed the small but significant curse seal etched into his pale skin like an ugly, black tattoo. Leaning forward, Kakashi lowered his voice and whispered into his former student's ear.

"You lost."

Sasuke shifted just a little and Kakashi could envisage the sneer twisting his lips when he replied.

"So you believe."

The comment was more than enough warning. Glancing at the curse seal, Kakashi wasn't surprised to see the marks beginning to expand and sluggishly move across his skin.

His eyes fell on his old seal, the one meant for Sasuke to use to contain Orochimaru's curse seal. It was still there, looking as if it had been freshly burnt into his skin.

Bringing his free hand to his mouth, Kakashi bit his thumb so that a small dot welled against the skin. He let a drop fall onto Sasuke's skin and moving quickly to contain the curse seal's power, he brought his hand to bear vertically before his face, his index and middle finger pointing upwards and the other fingers tucked in. The moment his blood touched his old seal the curse seal markings flared brilliant red and retreated in a matter of seconds.

Sasuke jerked. Muscles rippled underneath Kakashi's fingertips and a choked, pain filled moan broke free from the boy beneath him. Kakashi didn't relinquish his hold in the least, even knowing the pain he was inflicting upon Sasuke.

"Nice try," Kakashi muttered in his ear, "but you should have thought about it before you allowed someone to place a boundary seal on the one on your shoulder."

"What…did you…do?" asked Sasuke his jaw clenched as he combated the effects of the seal and the lingering traces of the earlier genjutsu.

"I activated the boundary seal on your shoulder and forced the curse seal to retreat. You didn't think it was there just for you alone did you?" asked Kakashi.

Sasuke didn't answer and Kakashi had nothing further to add. He'd never told Sasuke but there had been one other, more powerful seal he could have placed on the curse seal. It required minimal effort to force back the curse seal unlike the one Kakashi had given his student instead. However the seal could only be controlled by Sasuke. That meant if he chose to, he could still override the seal but Kakashi had decided against it. At the time if Sasuke had chosen to accept Orochimaru's offer (and Kakashi couldn't be sure he wouldn't) then he would have to have some way to control the curse seal himself. The Scripted Boundary seal had been the obvious option because it allowed anyone else able to manipulate chakra to contain Sasuke's curse seal, provided their will was equal in strength or stronger than Sasuke's.

"Yield," ordered Kakashi.

Sasuke didn't answer and Kakashi twisted his arm a little harder.

"I said yield, Uchiha. You lost."

The warning was still lost on Sasuke who stubbornly remained silent. His tense frame more than told Kakashi just how furious he was but Kakashi wasn't going to relent for the time being.

"Sasuke-kun, you might like to do as he said." The Snake Sannin's golden eyes were on the kneeling boy. Sasuke titled his head just minutely enough to see Orochimaru. Kakashi couldn't see his face so he couldn't be sure as to how Sasuke was reacting to Orochimaru's heated stare.

Without saying a word, Kakashi released Sasuke. He was doing his best to save his stubborn fool of a student from Orochimaru's wrath but he'd reached the point where he could do no more.

"I withdraw," he said.

"...What?"

For the first time showing some form of emotion, Sasuke looked over his shoulder at Kakashi in astonishment.

"You heard me," replied Kakashi. He formed his expression into the most scathing look he could although inwardly, Kakashi only felt disappointment. Looking at Sasuke now, it was clear that the boy had fallen far further into the darkness than he would have thought possible. "If you want to see Orochimaru-sama that badly then go ahead. I, unlike you, know the meaning of patience and I'll wait if it's that important."

Sasuke stared silently, still not able to fathom why Kakashi would give in so abruptly. Kakashi wasn't surprised that Sasuke didn't recognise his motives. The last time the boy had probably been shown any form of compassion was back in Konoha. He obviously couldn't understand that Kakashi was giving in just to save face for Sasuke before Orochimaru. It was the last thing he could do and the only way he might be able to lessen the impact of the disgraceful behaviour Sasuke had exhibited from the moment he'd entered the room.

"Well, well," murmured Orochimaru.

The Sannin stepped forward, his serpent like presence once again commanding the attention of those in the room.

"You wanted to talk to me about your training, correct?" asked Orochimaru.

Dipping his head cautiously, Sasuke watched Oto's leader carefully.

"Well I won't change my mind Sasuke-kun, however," and here Orochimaru's eyes drifted sideways to lock onto Kakashi. "Satoshi, since you've only just arrived in Sound and you defeated Sasuke so easily; the logical step is that you will be his trainer."

Kakashi almost expected an outburst from Sasuke but the teenager clenched his jaw and said nothing. Kakashi waited for Orochimaru to continue.

"I would like you to train him in the mornings. It'll be both a test of good faith and a chance for you to prove your worth to the village. I'm sure you're aware that Sasuke-kun has a vital place in Sound and his training is of the upmost importance."

Kakashi pretended to consider Orochimaru's words but he already knew how he'd answer. The Sannin had after all, fallen right into the trap he'd laid and now with easy access to Sasuke and therefore some of Sound's more guarded secrets, it would be straightforward to bid his time for a few weeks and then snatch Sasuke right out from underneath Orochimaru's nose.

"Very well Orochimaru-sama. I'll train the brat for you."


	2. The Totinactive Injection

**Chapter Two **

**The Totinactive Injection**

Orochimaru dismissed Sasuke and Kabuto, leaving Kakashi alone in the presence of the Sannin. It struck Kakashi as suspicious and he automatically raised his guard. Orochimaru noticed his wary gaze and sneered accordingly.

"I wouldn't worry Satoshi-kun," remarked Orochimaru. "We just need to have a little chat."

Kakashi chose not to respond and watched as the Sannin settled himself comfortably in the large chair on the other side of the room.

"Now," began Orochimaru. "As I'm sure you're aware, Oto is on the brink of war with Konoha. It's something we've been preparing for since our last attack on the village."

"An attack that failed," pointed out Kakashi snidely.

The Sannin smiled chillingly but let his comment go.

"Spies in the village have become bothersome of late," said Orochimaru. "We find that weeding them out has proven rather…difficult."

It was rather satisfying to hear Orochimaru admit this but Kakashi wisely didn't comment.

"If they'd been successful in their attempts to infiltrate the village, Oto would have long ago been defeated," he continued. "However, they haven't been and for a very good reason."

A sense of foreboding fell upon Kakashi. The Sannin's tone was downright wicked and somehow Kakashi knew he'd been duped in some way. Orochimaru had to be talking about the method he'd used to prevent Oto's destruction when it'd originally formed and something told him he'd already been ensnared.

"You see, loyalty is a very hard thing to come by and sometimes it's not always given. The easiest way to get it is to take away the choice," explained Orochimaru.

"What do you mean?" demanded Kakashi.

Laughing softly, the Sannin idly twirled a long strand of dark hair around his index finger and watched Kakashi with plain amusement. "You should have been more cautious before you allowed Kabuto to take your blood," he answered. "The needle was coated in poison."

Coldness spread through Kakashi and he suddenly understood the situation clearly. "I see. So that means you have an antidote which you'll inject me with when I need it. You can control me because I'll never be able to leave the village without a high enough dose of antidote to wipe out the poison completely."

"Correct, Satoshi-kun," replied Orochimaru triumphantly.

Kakashi scowled. He'd been caught and he knew it. He hadn't thought that the blood test could be a double edged sword. Things had suddenly become a lot more complicated. At least however, he could see a solution in the form of a poison expert or a medic when it was time to leave the village.

"You'll need injections on a weekly basis Satoshi-kun," went on Orochimaru. "And also, don't endeavour to play games with me. I'm aware of your attempts to distract me from Sasuke's behaviour. He may be young but he's a shinobi and he knows what he's doing. If he wants to throw his weight around, let him. I'll deal with him accordingly. He doesn't need your mollycoddling; he wants to be a killer so train him to be one. There should be two Jounin still waiting outside for you so go with them; they'll take you to your quarters."

Dismissed, Kakashi managed to force himself to bow his head in acknowledgement and then he stepped outside.

The two Jounin were waiting as promised and they led Kakashi away without another word. He was given quarters in a house with three other shinobi. All of them were male with two being rogue Mist nin and the last a young Cloud shinobi. None of the three greeted him and that was fine by Kakashi. He was angry and it showed in his sullen expression. He couldn't believe how easily he'd been tricked. He slammed the door to his room shut and tossed his pack on the floor. Opening a window to let the cool breeze in, he stared out onto the street.

Orochimaru had always been a clever bastard. Even when he'd been a kid he'd know that though he'd still been fooled by his words. He was an adult now and should have known better. He sighed and flopped down onto the bed instead. It was no use regretting what had happened. He'd just have to be more careful and Orochimaru was right. He couldn't afford to play games, especially concerning Sasuke. He'd got what he'd wanted there; he'd manoeuvred the Sannin into giving him access to Sasuke but he'd have to train him accordingly and that meant teaching him jutsu Kakashi didn't really think Sasuke deserved.

Sighing, Kakashi decided a nap might be in order. He'd worry about everything else later.

0-0-0-0-0-0

In a bath house some where in the depths of the Wind country, two shinobi soaked in the purifying waters of one of the country's few hot springs. The younger of the two shinobi wished sullenly that the water would purify more than what it did however, as he watched his sensei struggle to see through a hole in the wooden fence.

Jiriya the Toad Sannin giggled lecherously every few seconds as one beauty or other passed by his peeping eye in the woman's bath beyond.

His apprentice and Konoha's Number One Surprising Ninja, Uzumaki Naruto, sighed and resisted the urge to yell at the perverted old man. No amount of shouting had ever changed anything much in the past although that didn't stop the blonde teenager from occasionally trying.

"Oi! Ero-Sannin! When are you going to tell me what Baa-chan said?" he demanded, deliberately raising his voice.

"Shut up Naruto!" hissed Jiriya jumping away from the fence immediately.

Naruto grinned. His comment had had the desired effect.

"Hurry up and tell me Ero-Sannin and I might consider giving you five minutes of peace."

"Maa, since when did you get so cunning?" complained Jiriya.

With a grunt, Jiriya gave in and lowered himself back into the spring's waters.

"I suppose it's a fair deal," he sighed at length. "Let me see? There wasn't too much. The village is quiet. Of course it helps that you aren't around."

"Hey!" growled Naruto. "I don't make that much noise. I'm not a kid anymore you know."

"Stow it gaki," grumbled Jiriya eyeing Naruto meaningfully.

"The elders are giving Tsunade a hard time. They're pushing for the Chuunin Exams to be held in Konoha again. After the last time though, Tsunade isn't too keen. Sakura is going well apparently. If she's a patch on Tsunade then you might want to watch your mouth when you see her again Naruto. Even I wasn't dumb enough to go around pushing Tsunade's buttons by the time she turned 14. It wasn't a lot of fun endangering my life just for the sake of a good laugh anymore."

"Ha! Sakura-chan won't beat on me that bad. I bet she's just saving it all up for Sasuke-teme," exclaimed Naruto.

Jiriya sighed. The issue concerning the last Uchiha was not something they discussed often but it was just as clear as the day Sasuke had left two and a half years ago that Naruto hadn't given up on him. Jiriya was of a different opinion though and it would never change. Once his old team mate had gotten his fangs into Sasuke, the Uchiha was never coming back.

"Anyway, what's Kakashi-sensei doing?" asked Naruto. "Tsunade never says anything about him. I suppose that old pervert still spends all his time being late and reading those dumb books. I dunno what he sees in them."

"Hey!" growled Jiriya, his pride wounded. "I happen to write those books you're going on about and if you're too immature to appreciate the fine pleasures of a woman then that's your loss. Besides, Kakashi hasn't had time to read them. Tsunade's kept him busy as I understand it."

"Oh?" enquired Naruto, an interested gleam entering his eyes. Kakashi guarded his thoughts and dreams almost jealously. It was always exciting to learn something new concerning the Copy Ninja.

"What's she been making him do?" asked Naruto.

"I'm not sure," answered Jiriya with a shrug of his shoulders. "Some sort of top secret mission I think. She says he left a week ago to start it. I think it's probably ANBU business."

"Eh? ANBU?" asked Naruto. "Kakashi-sensei isn't in ANBU. He's just a Jounin."

Jiriya smirked at his student's confused expression. In many cases, Naruto was still incredibly naïve.

"Kakashi's been in ANBU since forever," he answered. "Officially hasn't been doing missions for a while but when he disappears without a word you know that's what he's doing. He's the best and only takes the toughest missions which the Hokage will give to no one else. Unlike a lot of other ANBU, he doesn't answer to that old stickler Danzo."

"EH?!"

Naruto was beyond surprised now. He looked as if a herd of flying pigs had just swooped right past his face. Jiriya laughed at his comical expression.

"Don't act so surprised baka. Your sensei happened to be a child genius. Got into ANBU by the time he was fourteen, never looked back. If it wasn't for his team mate dying he would have stayed in ANBU but a close friend's death always does strange things to people."

Jiriya sighed, suddenly feeling the weight of his many years. Naruto was just as quiet, lost in thought apparently.

"Ne? Ero-Sannin?" he asked at length. "Was his team mate the one that gave him the Sharingan?"

"Heh, he was," confirmed Jiriya. "His name was Uchiha Obito, Sasuke's older cousin. Those two were like you and Sasuke according to Kakashi. S'pose it's the same as Orochimaru and myself I guess."

"Kakashi-sensei doesn't seem like me all that much," pointed out Naruto dubiously.

Jiriya stared for a moment and then laughed.

"You baka Naruto! Being an Uchiha doesn't automatically put you on the dull and boring list. Kakashi was worse than Sasuke. If he laughed before Obito died I never heard it. You couldn't get him to bend a rule on his life. Obito in comparison was always the loud mouth. I think he went out of his way to get a rise out of Kakashi."

"Well that makes no sense," complained Naruto, still apparently confused.

"I guess it doesn't," agreed Jiriya.

Silence settled over the two for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey Naruto?" asked Jiriya eventually. "Did Kakashi ever talk about his team to you?"

Naruto sighed uncharacteristically.

"No. I think Sasuke asked the first time Kakashi-sensei used the Sharingan when we fought Zabuza and Haku but I don't think Kakashi-sensei ever said. Sasuke didn't ask again either. When I talked to him about it he just said Kakashi-sensei had told him he wasn't a member of the Uchiha Clan."

"That so?" replied Jiriya.

"Hey? What kind of mission do you think Kakashi-sensei is on?" asked Naruto.

Jiriya sighed. "Who knows? Most likely something that'll land him in hospital again. Kakashi doesn't accept any other kind of ANBU mission."

0-0-0-0-0-0

Kabuto's hand was like a steel trap around Sasuke's arm as he led him through the corridors. Sasuke didn't struggle but the temptation to was strong. Physically, he was more powerful than Kabuto but through the curse seal Kabuto could control him and it hurt enough that Sasuke wasn't willing to fight it every time.

"What's it going to be this time?" demanded Sasuke. It wasn't the first time he'd been punished for his indiscretion. The Sannin was fond of letting you dig your own grave and then making you lie in it.

"Probably the Totinactive poison," answered Kabuto.

He didn't look back at Sasuke and thus missed the tell tale wince of his features. Drugs and poisons were Orochimaru's method of choice in many things and keeping him in line with poisons was usually the way he did it. The curse seal could be utilized too but often wasn't. It corroded Sasuke's mind bit by bit the more often it was used and he fought it with the aid of the seal Kakashi had gifted him with. Sometimes he was fairly certain it was the only thing stopping his mind from being consumed by insanity.

They descended down a stone stairwell into the deepest reaches of the base where the dungeons and cellars had once stood. The dungeons were still in use but the cellars had become Orochimaru's laboratories. Sasuke rarely, if ever, ventured down into them.

The base had once been the home of the Lord who had governed Sound when it had still been Rice Country. Neither Orochimaru nor Kabuto lived in the levels up above ground. They preferred the dark confines of the corridors beneath. Sasuke alone lived in the huge halls and rooms of the sprawling mansion with nothing but bloodstains from the night the Lord's family and servants had been killed to keep him company.

They entered a large, dark room at the bottom of the stairs. Kabuto released Sasuke's arm and drifted over to one of the nearby benches. Remaining woodenly by the door, Sasuke fiercely squashed the urge to leave. He wasn't afraid of pain or most other things but that didn't mean he liked it.

Eventually Kabuto found what he was looking for and came back with a bottle of blue liquid and a syringe. He withdrew a small dosage from the bottle and Sasuke reluctantly held out his arm. He didn't flinch when the needle pierced his skin and Kabuto injected the poison into him.

"You know, I remember the first time we punished you this way," remarked Kabuto, his eyes watching Sasuke in a calculating manner. "You just about destroyed everything breakable within reach and now look at you. These days I barely get a word of protest out of you."

Sasuke deigned to stare patronizingly at the medic and then looked away. "Fighting you is a pointless waste of time and energy. The immunity to poisons you're injecting me with works to my advantage in the end."

Smiling softly, Kabuto withdrew the needle. "You have a point I suppose Sasuke-kun. But it's come at the price of your pride."

Sasuke glanced back at Kabuto. If the medic was uncomfortable with the dark glare Sasuke directed at him, he didn't show it.

"Hn, think what you will, your opinion doesn't matter to me," answered Sasuke. He wasn't about to admit that there was some truth in what Kabuto had said. It grated that Orochimaru still had so much power over him and his pride made him suffer because of it.

With a sigh, Kabuto set the needle down on the table and suddenly whirled and attacked Sasuke. Taken by surprise, he reacted too late to prevent the punch Kabuto delivered to his mid section. It was the first time the grey haired medic had ever hit him.

"My opinion should matter to you Sasuke," Kabuto whispered coldly into his ear.

The pain was terrible and the poison was already beginning to spread. He could taste bile in his throat and his stomach roiled rebelliously. A blow like that usually would have done little to him but Sasuke could feel the chakra swirling around Kabuto's fist. The little swine had hit him and pushed chakra into his nerves, causing his muscles to cramp. There would probably be a nasty chakra burn on his stomach when he looked later.

He leant back against the door frame but refused to allow his legs to give out as Kabuto withdrew. He couldn't understand the hit at all. Generally speaking Kabuto was docile and didn't go out of his way to tangle with anyone but Sasuke realised he must have done something to upset Kabuto or maybe it was a combination of many things. The thought crossed his mind that the medic was jealous but he dismissed it almost instantly. Kabuto cared little for anyone but himself and only tolerated Orochimaru's rule because it gave him access to such an extensive amount of knowledge.

He could have hit Kabuto back, could have struck out and strewn his entrails all over the room with ease but Sasuke resisted. The medic wasn't an opponent to be taken lightly and he would activate the seal against Sasuke's will just to add to his advantage.

"Get out!" hissed Kabuto stalking into the darkness.

Sasuke deliberately straightened, ignoring the pain and pinning Kabuto with the Sharingan when he made the mistake of looking back over his shoulder.

"If you ever hit me again I will kill you," Sasuke promised him. A flicker of electricity raced down his arm but he didn't attack. The temptation to blast half the room apart was enticing but there'd be worse to pay if he did so.

He left quietly, stubbornly ignoring the pain and the threat of vomiting. He'd go and sleep the poison off and hopefully by tomorrow he'd be over the worst of it.

0-0-0-0-0-0

The following morning dawned grey and cool. Kakashi awoke alone in the house around mid morning to the distant murmur of voices outside. Blinking groggily, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and rolled out of the mess of blankets he'd made. His sleep had been punctured by odd flashes of memories and wild bouts of imagination. It had made for a rather long and tedious night. Sighing, he ran a hand over his face and grimaced at the greasy texture. Definitely in need of a shower then, Kakashi rose and left his room to head in the direction of the bathroom.

It was midmorning and the remainder of the house was unoccupied so Kakashi found the bathroom quite empty. The other three occupants had already been through the shower though so it was with no small amount of disgust that Kakashi kicked the dirty towels on the floor into the hallway and threw at least a dozen empty bottles of gel, toothpaste and shampoo into the bin in the kitchen. He avoided looking up at the mould infested ceiling and tried to ignore the soap scum staring him in the face when he stepped in and turned on the hot water.

He spent a good half an hour beneath the steaming spray, lazily washing his hair and scrubbing his skin which already felt like the filth of Otogakure was clinging to it. Eventually hunger drove him from the relaxing warmth and into the kitchen in search of food. The fridge was blatantly bare but there was actually a fruit bowl on the table to Kakashi's surprise. He half heartedly selected a banana and an orange which he tucked into his pockets and picked up an apple. Kakashi wasn't fond of fruit but he didn't think it wise to go digging through his housemates' stores without asking.

Biting into the firm flesh of the fruit, Kakashi left the apartment and stepped out into the village street. He tucked his free hand into his pocket and decided to wander slowly uptown.

The apartment was located a little towards the south end on the main shopping strip of the village. In order to return to the lord's manor where Orochimaru, Kabuto and Sasuke dwelt, he had to go back up through the hustle and bustle to the north end of the street. If he wanted to go to the training grounds then he had to break east and take one of the side streets or narrow allies. Going west meant heading towards more shinobi housing and the destroyed barracks where the lord's small but powerful military force had once resided. At least that's what Konoha's scant information on the village said.

Finishing his apple; Kakashi sidestepped a group of arguing shinobi, ignored the shrill call for attention from a nearby stall owner and proceeded to the right side of the great arch where he'd walked down the long stone stairway beneath it to meet Orochimaru the previous afternoon. On either side of the great stairway there were two smaller stairways which led up to the main balcony where the Rice Lord would have once stood to survey his people.

Kakashi had planned to seek out Sasuke around dawn but his fitful night's sleep had ensured he slept far past that time. When he'd woken and realised this, he'd decided to briefly meet Sasuke instead to organise training times. The rest of the day he'd spend doing some Intel gathering and scoping the layout of the village. He'd also take the time to stock up on supplies, buy an alarm clock and discreetly dispatch one of his nin dogs to give the Fifth Hokage a status report and update his progress.

That was the plan at least but Kakashi had a suspicious feeling that that wasn't what was going to end up happening. Kakashi didn't even have to seek out another shinobi to get the location to Sasuke's room. Even from his apartment he could feel his student's fluctuating chakra. It was still the same as he remembered it but heavily tinted with the dark aura of the Curse Seal and Orochimaru's influence. It indicated his position to every shinobi within a one mile radius.

When they'd fought it'd been tightly wound and almost impossible to detect even to Kakashi's sharp senses. The entire situation unsettled Kakashi who kept his pace to a slow amble seemingly though in reality, he actually increased it just a little more as he climbed the steps.

He stepped onto the veranda and made his way along to the open double doors set in the middle of the wall. Four shinobi guards watched him from their various positions of attention but they didn't halt his passage. This informed Kakashi they'd probably been forewarned of his coming.

He stepped through the doors which showed signs of a breach but had since been repaired. There were holes in the walls from weapons and marks where men had crashed against them in the midst of battle. Faded bloodstains discoloured many surfaces and there was only a scant amount of furniture about, the rest having been destroyed and removed from the house.

Kakashi noted all this but didn't take the time to run it over in his mind and analyse it. Once out of sight of the guards, his bored expression dissolved into a frown and his amble hastened into a rapid march. He walked unerringly through the hallways and finally came to a door on the topmost floor behind which his student's chakra pulsed sporadically.

He knocked but there was no answer so he didn't bother to knock again. Kakashi thrust aside the sliding paper screen and almost tripped over Sasuke as he strode in the door. The teenager was laying spread eagle on the tatami mats, just beside his bed in the smallish room. The faint smell of vomit lingered in the air but if Sasuke had been ill he'd dealt with it before he'd passed out.

Concerned, Kakashi crouched beside Sasuke and gently rolled him over. The boy didn't stir and Kakashi noted the pale hue his skin had taken on and the faint traces of dried sweet. It appeared whatever ailed him had done its worst during the night and now Sasuke was on the way to recovery. That didn't ease Kakashi's conscious though and he puzzled over the cause of his student's current state.

Deciding it might be best to get him back into bed and examine him, Kakashi picked up Sasuke's slender body though it was by no means as light as he remembered. Muscle definitely rippled through those gangly limbs of his which were going through the awkward growth spurt all teenage boys went through.

He placed his student on his bed and pulled aside the loose, white gi Sasuke wore. It was hard to find anything out of place at first other than the nasty chakra burn on his stomach which could have been from anything. Eventually he located a small but telltale prick in the crook of Sasuke's arm and that was when Kakashi realised Sasuke had been injected with something. What is was he couldn't be sure of but if neither Kabuto nor Orochimaru had come up here to see why Sasuke's chakra was fluctuating so wildly then they could only have been the cause of it.

Furious at the realisation that this was how Sasuke had been punished for the events yesterday, Kakashi set about removing Sasuke's main garments (save for his pants), his weapons and shoes. He thrust the clothes into an empty corner and neatly laid out Sasuke's sword and the two weapon pouches he'd located on a low table beneath the shoji screen. He opened the screen while he was there to let some fresh air in and picked up a wash bowl and jug of water which were resting on the table. There was a washcloth in the bowl which Kakashi used to wipe away the dried sweet from Sasuke's skin.

Once he'd done that, Kakashi covered Sasuke up with a thick blanket to starve off the morning chill and quietly settled on the window sill to wait and watch over his student until he awoke.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Waking from the deep sleep of his poison induced unconsciousness, Sasuke expected to come to on the floor where he recalled collapsing but he was surprised to wake within the warm confines of his bed covers instead. Hazily he tugged the covers down from his face where he'd clutched them in his sleep and swept his gaze over the room. Surprise registered when he spotted the form of Okoyama Satoshi sitting on his window sill. The pointed straw hat was pulled low over his face but the soft rise and fall of his shoulders indicated he was dozing in the noon sunshine, one leg lazily tucked under the other and his hands resting loosely in his lap.

Feeling under his pillow, Sasuke found the kunai he'd hidden there and he relaxed slightly. He certainly didn't trust Okoyama. He didn't trust anyone in fact but at least he was still armed and could act accordingly.

Noting his state of dress and the wash bowl, Sasuke realised that it must have been Okoyama who'd placed him in his bed. Unnerved by the thought and Okoyama's possible motives, Sasuke stared for a long moment at the drowsing shinobi, trying to fathom the implications but realising ultimately that Okoyama had just violently upheaved his previous evaluation of him.

Slipping soundlessly from beneath the covers, Sasuke walked over to the sleeping shinobi, being careful to stop just out of Okoyama's immediate reach. His stomach clench uncomfortably as he moved, reminding him of the previous evening and the Totinactive injection.

"Oi," he called loudly.

The Iwa shinobi stirred and the straw hat tilted upwards, revealing one dark eye still drooping with sleep. A flash of resemblance flittered through Sasuke's mind but he pushed it aside. Though that dark eye looked very much the same, it could not possible belong to Hatake Kakashi.

"Ah, you're awake," observed Okoyama. Unfolding his long limbs, he stood and approached Sasuke who eyed him warily. "You should go back to bed," he said as he withdrew a small jar of something from his haori sleeve.

Ignoring the question though, Sasuke answered with one of his own. It was the first time anyone besides Orochimaru or Kabuto had been in his room and the lazy behaviour Okoyama was exhibiting was at odds with the brash manner he'd deployed yesterday in the presence of the Snake Sannin.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I had to come see you today about training times. You heard Orochimaru. Your chakra could also be felt all over the damn village," he responded.

"But nobody gave you permission to come in here," retorted Sasuke sharply.

"Well generally speaking if someone doesn't open their door and their chakra is leaping all over the place then something's wrong," replied Okoyama. With surprising force, he pushed Sasuke back down on the bed.

Infuriated, Sasuke made to rise but Okoyama's hand came down directly on his abused stomach and he halted, a small hiss of pain escaping him. He changed tactics and grasped Okoyama's wrist instead. He glared at him with the Sharingan, knowing the effect the clan bloodline had on most people. "Get off," he growled warningly.

Okoyama gazed back seriously, completely unfazed by the blood red eyes. He pushed harder on Sasuke's stomach, forcing him to remain where he was.

"Lie back down baka. You've been poisoned," ordered Okoyama.

"I said get off!" repeated Sasuke, refusing to give in. The irony of the same situation the day before was not lost on Sasuke. He wouldn't give in this time either but Okoyama didn't look like backing down. His jaw tightened and the slate grey eyes narrowed.

"Stubborn," Okoyama muttered. "Just lie back down and give your body time to get the poison completely out of it. We have plenty of days sparring ahead of us which you can use to try and bash the crap out of me then. For now though, do as I say."

Sasuke warred with himself, undecided on the matter. Kabuto's words concerning his pride lingered in the back of his mind and the temptation to resist was almost overwhelming. What motivated the Iwa shinobi though, was completely different. He was not seeking to humiliate Sasuke and try to control him but simply to rest his injuries which were currently throbbing. The chakra burn ached with a steady rhythm and his stomach felt hollow and sore from the poison abuse. His chakra reserves had also been drained significantly in order to combat the problem and it felt strange to be slowly regulating his chakra again and hiding its presence. Chakra wasn't meant to be concealed in such a manner and shinobi only did it to hide their existence and intentions.

Grudgingly he gave in after several moments of intense staring. Okoyama wasn't going to back down and in any case, he was right. If he gave his body time to rest then he'd be amply recovered to face whatever Okoyama had in store for him tomorrow and Orochimaru's afternoon training sessions.

"Fine," he muttered. He dispelled the Sharingan and rolled onto his side, roughly shoving Okoyama's hand away from his stomach. The burn smarted and his body automatically curled up a little to release the strain on the damaged skin.

There was silence after that. Sasuke patiently waited for Okoyama to move away and thus, he was thoroughly startled when the Iwa shinobi reached over and tried to gently rub something on the burn. Sasuke jerked and glared over his shoulder. Okoyama shot him a sneer of disgust back.

"Don't go getting any ideas," he said. "If Orochimaru wasn't such a bastard and hadn't done this to you in the first place then I'd be leaving you here to suffer in your own misery. In fact, you'd still be on the floor."

Refusing to feel uncomfortable, Sasuke allowed Okoyama to finish rubbing in the ointment and then the Iwa shinobi finally moved away. Sasuke heard him grunt and presumably he was settling himself back on the window sill.

"In any case," Okoyama said, "the ointment should dull the pain and speed up the healing process. By tomorrow the burn will be peeling because of the new skin growth underneath."

Sasuke didn't see the need to answer so he didn't. It was good to know though, that the Iwa shinobi's ointment would help that much.

"Now shut up and sleep," ordered Okoyama. "I don't know what type of poison it was but as a shinobi I can tell you that you should just give it some time to get out of your system and sleeping is the best method for it. You'll need to be alert tomorrow. I want to train you five mornings out of seven and you can use the other two for your own personal training time."

Irritated by the orders, Sasuke pulled the blanket back over himself and rolled onto his back. He stared at the ceiling and didn't deign to look at Okoyama when he spoke.

"I've done this before. You don't have to tell me. Now get out," he said indifferently.

"Che, you're telling me brat. Only an idiot lets himself get poisoned a second time," retorted Okoyama.

"Immunity to most poisons isn't a bad trade off," replied Sasuke calmly. "Stop hovering. I can't rest if you are."

"You just don't like my company," remarked Okoyama. Sasuke saw him stand in his peripheral vision and saw the hat get pulled down low over his face. "Then again, you're an arrogant little snot and the same goes for you: I hate you."

He was gone in two heartbeats and Sasuke finally relaxed in the ensuring silence. Okoyama Satoshi was an enigma it seemed but one thing was certain and that was that somehow, the Iwa shinobi had managed to get closer to him then he'd allowed anyone in the past three years.

It wouldn't happen again and tomorrow when he got the chance to use ninjutsu, he'd crush Okoyama into oblivion. 'Let Orochimaru try to force another trainer on me then' he thought darkly.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Edited 20/01/2009. Hope you enjoyed. Looking back over the original version, I realised Kakashi and Sasuke's relationship was nowhere near hostile enough so I hope this is better. Orochimaru also wasn't all that complex or even cruel so I've tried to make him so since that's what he is.

Before any of you ask, there will be no Yaoi in this. There's enough of that been written without me adding to it and this isn't about romance which will just distract from the story. This is a serious fic which I'm trying to have everyone act as IC as possible in. Kakashi wasn't getting all touchy feely because he wanted to but because he had to. The burn was nasty and Sasuke needed something to help it heal so that's why Kakashi put some ointment on it – nothing more, nothing less.

Anyway, comments welcome as always!


	3. Notice

Hey all!

Just to let you know I got in touch with the very talented Alolha 123 and asked her to beta "The Mission in Sound." She accepted and now I've been going back and editing the chapters myself. The new, improved version should be awesome and I'm going to write way more in there so it may take a while to get back to where we're currently at but there should be loads of new stuff in between for you to take pleasure in.

Anyway, enjoy the new version when it comes! Hopefully chapter one will be out in a day or two. I've just sent it back to be double checked but from there it should be all go.

Cheers!

Randa-Chan*


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